Animal litters of various compositions are commonly used for the control and removal of animal waste. The most well-known litter compositions are sold by retailers for the control of cat waste, and are widely used by cat owners. In contrast, dog owners typically do not use litter, but instead train the dog to use discarded newspapers, or to go outside. This usually involves the unpleasant task of removing the waste by rolling up soiled newspapers, or scooping waste from the ground. Control of dog waste in such a manner is a particular annoyance for dog owners who travel frequently with their dogs. The availability of suitable outdoor space while traveling is often very limited, and indoor space, for example in hotels, is often restricted and does not include suitable places for spreading newspapers.
Known cat litter compositions are fabricated primarily from one of four materials: clay; vegetable matter such as grass, hay or alfalfa; wood chips, shavings or sawdust; and paper, such as shredded, flaked or pelletized paper. While such compositions are not strictly limited to cats and are readily commercially available, they are relatively unattractive to dog owners. For example, the high density of clay litters make them heavy and awkward to carry in the larger quantities required by dog owners. In addition, clay is not readily biodegradable, and proper disposal is inconvenient, requiring dog owners to handle large quantities of heavy, soiled litter. Clay litters are also especially prone to produce dust, and tracking out by the animal. Grass, hay or alfalfa based litters are less dense than clay and are biodegradable, but are highly susceptible to bacterial and mold growth, and generally produce odors offensive to people and that seem to be offensive to animals. The various wood-based litters are also lightweight, but have a wood scent believed to be unattractive to most animals, are highly susceptible to tracking, and also lack absorbency. Generally, the known litters lack the consistency and texture of soil, which dogs seem to prefer.
Known paper-based litters address some of the limitations of the other known litter compositions. Shredded, flaked or pelletized paper litters are lightweight, absorbent, and not highly susceptible to bacterial and mold growth. However, shredded and flaked paper litters do not have a soil-like consistency, particularly after getting soaked, and are highly susceptible to tracking. In addition, known paper-based litters have a limited ability to control odor, and have limited absorbency, which is a particular problem for owners of large dogs.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a paper-based litter which has the consistency and texture of soil and is absorbent. Further, it would be desirable to provide such a litter at a low manufacturing cost. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a litter with the ability to control odor. It would be still further desirable to provide such a litter with a consistency which can be easily molded into pellets of various shapes and sizes, to reduce tracking of the litter.